CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE - SATURDAY, MARCH 14 2009

Hotline: Cape May Birding Hotline
To Report: call (609) 884-2736, or email sightings ATbirdcapemay.org
Coverage: Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties , NJ
Compiler: David Lord, Cape May Bird Observatory with additions by Don Freiday
URL: http://www.njaudubon.org ; http://www.birdcapemay.org

This is the Cape May Birding Hotline, a service of New Jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory. This week's message was prepared on Saturday, March 14, 2009. Highlights this week include sightings of SNOWY OWLS, EURASIAN WIGEON, CACKLING GOOSE, seasonal arrivals of OSPREY, PIPING PLOVER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and LAUGHING GULL, and an announcement about CMBO's Optics Sale March 14 and 15.

A male SNOWY OWL was seen at Stone Harbor Point, not far from the observation platform, on Thursday March 12, 2009. Another SNOWY OWL, or potentially two, appeared farther south in Cape May, with sightings Friday March 13 at 10:30 a.m. of a bird flying from the Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge towards Cape May City, and perhaps the same bird discovered late on Friday on the beach near the Cape May Convention Center in Cape May City.

The female EURASIAN WIGEON was seen at the Villas WMA on Thursday March 12, 2009.

A CACKLING GOOSE was seen at the Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge a.k.a. the South Cape May Meadows on Thursday March 12, 2009.

The vanguard OSPREY was reported over Cape May Court House March 5, and another OSPREY arrived at Jake's Landing March 8, 2009.

PIPING PLOVERS arrived at Cape May Point State Park and Stone Harbor Point on Sunday March 8, 2009.

Seven returning LESSER YELLOWLEGS were seen at the South Cape May Meadows on Sunday March 8, 2009.

Returning LAUGHING GULLS were seen last weekend at Cape May Point, the Cape May Ferry Terminal, and over Belleplain State Forest, with the first reports coming Friday, March 6.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

CMBO'S FOURTEENTH ANNUAL OPTICS SALE is HERE!! It will be held on Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the CMBO Center for Research and Education in Goshen. The sale offers a large selection of closeout, demo, factory-refurbished, new, and used optics priced to move. Binoculars and spotting scopes from all major brands will be available. There are no advance or phone orders: first come, first served. Shoppers must belong to NJAS or CMBO to take advantage of these great deals, so join today if you’re not already a member.

******CMBO Bookstore MARCH HOURS are as follows: Northwood Center on East Lake Drive in Cape May Point is open Wednesday through Monday, 9:30am to 4:30pm; closed Tuesdays. NOTE: CRE Days of operation have changed, The Center for Research and Education on Rt. 47 in Goshen is open Tuesday through SATURDAY, 9:30am to 4:30pm; closed SUNDAYs and Mondays thru the month of March ******

CMBO is offering a special to new and upgraded membership renewals. Join CMBO for the first time or upgrade from Individual or Family to The Hundred and receive Charley Harper's Migration Mainline- Cape May lithograph poster, valued at $50. Call either CMBO center to ask an associate about joining today!

The Cape May Birding Hotline is a service of the New Jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory and details sightings from Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties. Updates are made weekly. Please report sightings of rare or unusual birds to CMBO at 609-884-2736.

Sponsorship for this hotline comes from the support of CMBO members and business members, and should you not be a member, we cordially invite you to join. Individual membership is $39 per year; $49 for families. You can call either center to become a member or visit. Become a member in person and you'll receive a FREE gift (in addition to member discounts in the stores).

Good luck and good birding!